Administration of Corrective Discipline
193
There is a right way, and there is a wrong way. I never lifted a hand
to my children, before I talked with them; and if they broke down,
and if they saw their mistake (and they always did when I brought it
before them and prayed with them), and if they were subdued (and
they always were when I did this), then I had them under my control.
I never found them otherwise. When I prayed with them, they would
break all to pieces, and they would throw their arms around my neck
and cry....
I never allowed, in correcting my children, even my voice to be
changed in any way. When I saw something wrong, I waited until
the “heat” was over, and then I would take them after they had had a
chance for reflection and were ashamed. They would get ashamed, if I
gave them an hour or two to think of these things. I always went away
and prayed. I would not speak to them then.
After they had been left to themselves for a while, they would
come to me about it. “Well,” I would say, “we will wait until evening.”
At that time we would have a season of prayer, and then I would tell
them that they hurt their own souls and grieved the Spirit of God by
their wrong course of action
Take Time for Prayer—When I have felt roiled and was tempted
to speak words that I would be ashamed of, I would keep silent and
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pass right out of the room and ask God to give me patience to teach
these children. Then I could go back and talk with them, and tell them
they must not do this wrong again. We can take such a position in
this matter that we shall not provoke the children to wrath. We should
speak kindly and patiently, remembering all the time how wayward
we are and how we want to be treated by our heavenly Father.
Now these are the lessons that parents must learn, and when you
have learned these, you will be the very best students in the school
of Christ, and your children will be the very best children. In this
way you can teach them to have respect for God and to keep His law,
because you will have excellent government over them, and in doing
this you are bringing up into society children who will be a blessing
to all around them. You are fitting them to be laborers together with
God
31
Manuscript 82, 1901
.
32
Manuscript 19, 1887
.